Backyard Aquaponics
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Newbie needs help
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Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 24th, '10, 16:19 ]
Post subject:  Newbie needs help
Yoyoyoyo

Ok, lets doo this.
I have been researching aquaponics for few weeks. Reading articles, watching videos... But i couldnt find any info about few stuff so plz help.
First of all i'll start with basics. I am planig to make a system that i have download form backyardaquaponics.com (here is the link: http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/compo ... links.html). Its very nice explained and its not to expensive to build, didn't calculated it yet but as i've seen wich materials are used it shouldnt cost to much. Ill put it in relatively shady place cause i've read that it shouldn't be on full sun cause of all bacterias that grow and cause its not good for water temperatures. Also i will use some colored barell's beacuse of algie. I am planing to put some gold fishes in it and plant some basic plants like lettuce for start. Things that are kinda confusing and i couldn't find info on it are these:

1. Where do you get seeds, is it possible to grow plants from basic seeds that you would use for your garden or i need to have some kind of special ones?
2. How do you plant the seeds, do they first grow in rockwool or something alike and after it grows a bit you plant it in a system or do you grow it in system from start?
3. While the system will be in backyard with no roof installed how do you cope with rain? In particular with flooding the whole system and doesn't rain change ph values of whole system and bring some unwanted bacterias in it?
4. I am planing to put in gold fishes that i will buy from local pet shop, is that ok? (as i've researched it it shouldn't be a problem but still want to be sure)

Now one question not concerning this system. Eventually, if everything goes well, i am planing also to build a bit bigger system. In that one i would put trout or some fish that i could eat instead of gold fishes. So i was thinking does anyone of you use earth worms to feed the fish. Cause i was thinking that would be niiiiice eco thingie to ad up to aquaponics. Raising some worms to get food for fish + you will get some nice humus for rest of garden. Anyone have experience with this?


Thx for answers, in advance :cheers: , and if you have some advices that you think i should pay more attention and do more research on it i would appreciate it.
Author:  earthbound [ Feb 24th, '10, 16:28 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
1. Yep, any normal seed you use in a veggie garden. You can also use rockwool to germinate before hand, or use bought seedlings and wash off the dirt, then plant them into the media.
2. Sprinkle the seeds over the media in your bed, then run something over the media (hand) and the seeds drop down in the cracks.
3. make sure your fish tank is in a position where overflow will not matter, or put an overflow out the side of the fish tank running the water into a garden.
4. yep, goldfish will be fine to get things going.

And yes worms make good fish feed, but you'll have to grow a lot of worms if you want to feed a lot to the fish..
Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 24th, '10, 18:12 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
@2. ROFL :lol: HAHA

Thx a bunch, time to calculate price go to shop buy stuff and assemble it.
Author:  TCLynx [ Feb 24th, '10, 22:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
Around here I think I calculated that you should probably be able to build a barrel ponics system for under $300 US a few years ago and that was getting the barrels for about $15 each, buying bagged gravel and buying the plumbing parts new from Lowes.

As to putting it in the shade, only do that if you are in a very warm/hot climate and have very intense sun. The bacteria is protected from sun by the media or gravel. The only thing I would shade really heavily is the fish tank. The plants need some sun and most would like full sun except when they are really small or when it is supper hot. You are right that the sun can affect the temperatures but so will cold so partial day shade might be ok but you need some sun for your plants.

And I think EB already answered most of your other questions
Just use the same kinds of seeds that you would use in the garden or buy seedlings to transplant (wash off roots).
No need to plant in rock wool or anything like that
Rain is not as horrible a thing as one might thing. Just plan some way for the system to overflow if the rain is as heavy as all that. It might affect the pH and nutrient a bit but normally it won't be that extreme. I've had a few systems that were open to the sky.
Goldfish should be fine. Follow instructions about getting them used to the temperature of your system before putting them in. Make sure the pump and overflow is designed so they can't swim out or get sucked into the pump. (it is amazing how small a pipe a fish can swim into and then not get back out.) While you are getting the fish, you might look into getting a freshwater master test kit. You want to be able to test for pH and pH high range, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. The kits with the test tubes and dropper bottles are generally far more accurate than the test strips. Also being able to track the temperature in your system would be a good idea.

Welcome and good luck with it all.
Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 25th, '10, 00:20 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
Thx Lynx, some nice tips there.

About the sun and shade thing. The thing is that i ve moved to this house that i live in now for 3 years so the plants didnt grow enough yet. Over the summer here is over 30 degres celsius that's over 70 farenheit if i am not mistaken. The garden is turned to south and its actually big yard so i dont get shade from other houses so it gets quite hot. As for bacteria i am not concerned abut them, i was refering to green stuff that like to grow on walls of barrel. As ive read it there's no real cure for them and sun only benefits them.
Author:  TCLynx [ Feb 25th, '10, 07:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
Ok the green stuff growing in the fish tank would be algae. You can deal with that by putting a shade cover over the fish tank. Some temporary movable shade cloth can be used to shade the plants in the grow beds as needed.

30 C is about 86 F. Around here in summers we get hotter than that. Many plants like some mid day or afternoon shade when it is really brutally hot like when the days are sunny and the temps between 30 and 40 C. In winter here I've found that plants do best with full sun (I'm in a sub tropical area.)
Author:  splinter [ Feb 25th, '10, 10:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
Hello, I have been using goldfish for 18 months now in my trial system with no ill effects,
the varied success was more due to the water lillies ( we have an outdoor pond ) grabbing
all the nutrients . We did get some nice size broccolli heads a while ago , at the moment
some melons and one tall tomato plant .We feed them comercial fish flakes but I have an old
bath worm farm , and the larger goldfish will sure eat the worms. good luck.
Author:  TCLynx [ Feb 25th, '10, 10:36 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
A note about feeding worms to fish. Worms make a great supplement or addition to the fish diet but most fish may not do well long term with fresh worms as the only food in their diet. Too much fat I believe does bad things to the liver of at least some types of fish. Some people have gone to the effort to render some of the fat out of the worms to make a "worm meal" to feed to the fish, but that seems a lot of work and I'm not sure the other half would allow me to do such a thing in the kitchen.

So, we occasionally feed worms to the fish and we have a bug zapper over the tank so the catfish also get other bugs to eat as well as pellet feed.
Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 25th, '10, 15:51 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
Here we have 4 seasons. Plants can be planted and raised from March-April until October-November when temperatures go over 20 degres and there is no hoarfrost. In late autmn, early spring and winter ofc temperatures drop well over 0 degres with snow and all that. For example now its around 10 at day and around 0 at night. Few weeks ago was -10 :roll: . So eventually i'll need some greenhouse so i can raise plants all year long. But thats another story.

About wormingz. Looks like i need to do some researching to do. It was just nice idea for complete eko system :wink: . For starters ill just feed gold fishes with fish food.
Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 25th, '10, 21:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
gief helpingz

In manual i under Pvc parts there is: 2 each 8 1/2" long 1" thin wall pipe.
For what would 8 stand for?
Author:  earthbound [ Feb 25th, '10, 21:46 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
2 each 8 1/2" long 1" thin wall pipe.

Also means 2 pieces of 25mm pipe, 22 centimetres long.. or there abouts...
Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 25th, '10, 22:40 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
hmmm how did you get 22cm long, this metric is kinda confusing :roll:
Author:  earthbound [ Feb 25th, '10, 22:45 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
well you can call it 8 1/2 inches if you prefer......
Author:  Jahreef [ Feb 26th, '10, 00:29 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
aha 8 time 1/2" :cheers: (kek not 8 time 1/2", more like 8 and a half inches) roflkopter
start using metric system like the rest of the world, you slackers :wink:

Thx Earth
Author:  TCLynx [ Feb 26th, '10, 02:15 ]
Post subject:  Re: Newbie needs help
Perhaps instead of calling it 8 1/2" you might call it 8.5 inch long pieces of 1" pipe.
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